Life-boat apparatus.



S. KATKO.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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S. KATKO.

LIFE BOAT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I2 1915.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915;

3. $HEETS-SHEET 2.

@Wco am e 1 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO..WASHINGTON. D. c

S. KATKO.

LIFE BOAT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY12.1915.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

coulmum ILANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D c,

STEPHEN KATKO, OF SHORING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR OF TWO -FIF'IHS T0 EDW'ARD GOTTESMAN, 0E BROWNSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-BOAT nrrana'rns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application filed May 12, 1915. Serial No. 27,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN KATKo, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Shoring, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boat Apparatus, ofwhich the following isa specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in life boat. apparatus.

The primary object of the" invention is to provide a ready means for moving life boats along the deck of a vessel and then conveying the boats safelyinto the water wheneverdesired foruse.

A further object of theinvention is to provide means for directing the positioning of life boats upon the deck of. a vessel and means forreceiving the boats and bodily conveying the same to their launched positions upon the water adjacent the vessel and whenever desired. It is also designed to provide a telescoping launching way fixed to the side of the vessel and I adapted for receiving a lifeboat carrying I car and whereby thebQat may ,be launched regardless of the depth of the draft of the vessel.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out inthe appended elaims. I

1n the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vessel provided with the present device, the life boats and the railing being removed therefrom. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vessel showing a life boat in its launching position at the stern thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the stern portion of the vessel partially broken away, the launched position of the car and boat being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a top plan thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the launching way, a portion of a car being shown mounted thereon. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the telescoping portion of the way sections, and Fig. 7 is a vertical centralsectional View of one ofthe turn tables employed with the device. i

The present device is herein illustrated in connection with a vessellO having its deck 11 provided with a track 12 positioned extending marginally therearound and adapted for movingly supporting a desired number of life boats13 of any convenient form, each of the boats having suitable traction wheels 14L.

while the table is centrally pivotally coniiected deck by meansof a bolt 17 and is revolubly inovabl'e" upon 7 anti friction members 18. v

' A launching way 19 is obliquely mounted downwardly extending. from the gunwale pjortijon .20 of the vessel outwardly of each of the turn tablesl5, a. securing brace 21 connecting the same to the adjacent side of the vessel. The: said ways 19,.are of angle iron formation as best illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, each of the same being provided with an outer extensible section 22 slidably mounted thereon andbeing formed of substantially L-shaped side members connected together by transverse bars 23, antifriction members 2 1 being. spaced between the in-ner flanges 25 of the said extension sldes and the adjacent underlying face of the way member.

A life boat supporting car 26 having a constantly horizontally positioned platform 27 is movably mounted upon each of the ways 19 by means of wheels 28, it being understood that the said car is of the general form usually employed with inclined-railways. The extensions 22 are each provided with a hoisting cable 29 secured to one of the cross bars 23 thereof and operatively attached to a winding drum 30 upon the vessel and whereby the extensions 22 may be elevated or lowered for accommodating the way to the depth of the draftof the vessel and whereby the extensions 22 may be properly positioned for placing their lower curved abutment ends 81 at its eiiicient distance beneath the surface of the water to allow for the submersion of the car 26 and its life boat 13, so that the boat will be placed in'its launching position upon the water. A cord 32 is attached to each of the cars 26 and passes over a Windlass 83 upon the deck of the vessel and whereby the car may be readily hoisted upwardly upon the launching way and allowed to travel down the same by means of its own weight.

From this detailed description of the device, it will be seen that-in the operation thereof, thelife boats 13 are normally maintained upon the deck track 12'and when desired for launching, one of the same may be placed upon any one :of the turn tables 15 and the adjacent gate 34: of the gunwale railing 35 may be opened and the turn table so adjusted as to position the track section 16 thereofin alinei'nent with the platform 27 of the car 26 which is mounted upon the adjacent inclined launching way .19. The way extension 22 beinglowered in the water, by

means of the winding drum 30, the Windlass 33 is released and the car 26 allowed to pass down the launching way until it reaches the end'stop 31 of the extension 22 and in which position the boat 13 will be sufiiciently subover the side .of the vessel and into the water,

the entire sdevice being readily attached to any vessel and consuming only slight space thereon. i While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what isbelieved to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proport1on and detalls of construction wlthout departing from the spirlt and scope of the 111- o vention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is 1. Life boat apparatus for a vessel comprising a marginal boat track upon the deck thereof, track turn tables arranged within the deck track, railing gates atthe edge of the deck adjacent the said turn tables, adjustable inclined ways positioned outwardly of the said gates and inclined-railway cars mounted upon the said ways and controlling cords for the said cars.

2. Life boat apparatus for a vessel comprising a marginal boat track upon the deck thereof, track turn tables arranged within the deck track, railing gates at the edge of the deck adjacent the said turn tables, inclined ways attached to the side of the vessel outwardly of the said gates, extensions slidably mounted upon the said ways having curved stops at the lower ends, cable hoisting means for the said extensions, and life boat cars mounted upon the said ways.

3. Life boat apparatus for a vessel comprising a marginal boat track upon the deck thereof, track turn tables arranged within the deck track, railing gates at the edge of the deck adjacent the said turn tables, inclined ways attached to the side of the vessel outwardly of the said gates, extensions slidably mounted upon the said ways having curved stops at the lower ends, cable hoisting means for the said extensions, cars having the walls thereof movably mounted upon STEPHEN KATKO.

-' Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

